Dinner with the Dursleys
by InvisiblePinkToast
Summary: Based off the background information of Petuina and Vernon Dursley. Lily Evans introduces James Potter to her sister and future brother in law for dinner, but between clashing personalities and worlds - things don't go as well as she'd hoped.


Lily stood outside the door to the restaurant, trying and failing to take in deep breaths. Her heart was pounding and the only reason she didn't turn and run was because of the tall, dark haired boy standing next to her. James ran his hand through his hair, and reached out to take her hand. She tried to give him a smile, but it came off kind of forced.

Upon hearing of her sisters engagement, Lily had been tremendously happy. Not only was her sister going to be married, but this would hopefully be the perfect opportunity to patch things up between the siblings. Much to Lily's disappointment, they had been drifting away from each other ever since she had left for Hogwarts. It didn't help that Petunia managed to call her a freak every time they saw each other since then. When Petunia had left a few years ago to London to pursue a career in typing Lily saw even less of her. But she had heard about how close she and her boyfriend Vernon had been getting and was delighted to hear the happy news.

She had written at once to congratulate them, and since then had actually managed to arrange to meet the couple for dinner. Lily had been wanting to introduce her sister to James since they had started going out, and had thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

Now, however, moments from the meeting, she wasn't so sure.

Lily turned to James. 'James, please remember what I told you.' She whispered, gripping his hand. 'Tuney has always disliked the wizarding world, I don't know what kind of comments she might make. I don't even know what her fiancée is like – but they are muggles so try to be patient with them.'

James grinned at her. He had been warned by Lily about this meeting from the moment she had got a reply letter from her sister. He was sure he would be able to put up with any relative of the girl he loved. 'Don't worry, Lily. I'll have them falling under my natural charm in no time.'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Hopefully a lot faster than I did.' She said pointedly, and he shrugged.

'I think you fell for me ages ago and just took forever to admit it.' He said, still grinning.

'Whatever helps you sleep at night. Just remember to keep your cool, okay? This is important.' Lily's nerves began to surface again. She imagined every possible thing going wrong – from Petunia calling James a freak to Death Eaters attacking the restaurant.

James opened the door for her and they stepped inside. 'Relax, if I mess up that badly I'll put a memory charm on them and they won't remember a thing.' For some reason, this wasn't of much comfort to Lily.

She glanced around the restaurant for her sister and spotted her up the back, sitting at a table with a rather large man. Lily took a deep breath and started over to her. Petunia glanced up as they reached the table. 'Oh, Lily. What a…pleasure to see you again.' She said, getting up to give her younger sister a quick hug.

'Hello, Petunia. Congratulations on the news, it's amazing.' They both turned to the large man who was standing up. 'You must be Vernon, I've heard a lot of great things about you.' Lily said, offering out her hand.

Vernon Dursley shook her hand and eyed her somewhat shrewedly. 'Yes, yes, I've heard a lot of…things about you too.' He said. Lily thought about this for a moment, but decided it was only natural. Petunia had told her that she had said she was a witch and it was quite nice of Vernon to want to meet her at all. After all muggles were very superstitious folks.

James didn't take the comment quite like that. He frowned slightly, but decided to let it go. Muggles were bound to act like that. Petunia turned to him, baring horse-like teeth in a smile. 'And you must be…?' she asked.

'Oh, I'm James. James Potter.' He said, smiling and shaking her hand. 'Lily's boyfriend.' He loved introducing himself like that. He turned to Vernon and they shook hands as well.

'Nice to meet you.' Said Vernon, before taking his seat again. James pulled out Lily's chair for her and they all sat down. A somewhat awkward silence followed.

'So-so how did you two meet each other?' Lily asked, gesturing to the couple in an attempt to make conversation.

Petunia flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder. 'Well, I got a clerical job in London. At the time Vernon was a junior executive for the company – he was brilliant,' she said, with another, more genuine, horse-like smile. 'Anyway, we got to know each other better and we realised that we were meant to be.' She finished by patting his large hand with her bony one.

'Yes,' Vernon said. 'I think it was a perfect match all round.' Lily nodded, glad to see her sister so happy. 'It's a very professional office, I knew that Petunia would have been an excellent person to have gotten the job from the moment I met her.' He turned to James, as if daring him to contradict him.

James, however, remembering Lily's warning, just nodded. 'I'm sure that's true.' Considering the fact that his father had been an auror before he had passed away earlier that year, and his mother was on the Hogwart's school board he doubted that Vernon's job would be of much interest to him. He felt like he had never met a more muggle-of-a-man in his life. Vernon's attempts to show off were rather amusing to him.

Vernon nodded. 'Yes it is. Anyway, we were talking about Petunia and I, weren't we? Yes, well I decided that you don't meet a girl like that every day – and I proposed as soon as I thought we were ready.'

'Oh, Vernon, you're so sweet.' Petunia said. Lily coughed slightly, in what James thought was an attempt to cover up a laugh. There was a lull in the conversation.

Vernon cleared his throat. 'So, well, Petunia did mention to me that you go to an… unusual school.' James, who had been examining the muggle air-conditioning on the wall, snapped back to attention. Lily had told him about her sisters view on her being a witch and was curious to see what she had told her fiancée.

It was Lily's turn to clear her throat. 'Yes, I do go to an unusual school. But, as unusual as it is, it's also considered the best- the best wizarding school there is.' She finished quickly, glancing at her sister. _Tuney can be mad if she wants_, Lily thought, _but I didn't bring it up and I won't deny it. _

Petunia did stiffen in her chair, but said nothing. So Vernon turned to James. 'You go to this school too, then?' He nodded. 'Do you think it's any good?' Vernon asked. James laughed.

'Any good? Hogwarts is the best school there is. My family had been going there for generations. Anybody would be lucky to go.' James wasn't going to be rude to the man, but he certainly wasn't going to lie about his feelings towards Hogwarts. He turned to Lily, to make sure what he was saying was alright, and she gave him a slight smile.

Petunia sniffed disdainfully. She remembered back to when she wanted to go so badly. _But_, she reminded herself, you don't now. _Everyone at that school is a freak, including the two sitting at this table. And you are the lucky, _normal_ one who is getting married. _

In the next ten minutes, a waiter came and took their orders, and the group made polite small talk. Lily and Petunia were talking about some arrangements for the wedding, and Vernon and James talked about the only neutral subject they could think of- the weather.

Lily was thinking that the evening wasn't going too bad after all when Vernon started talking again.

'Petunia, why don't you tell your sister and James about my new car I just got?' he said rather smugly. Petunia's eyes lit up. She had been wanting to impress her sister with Vernon. Lily had always been considered interesting and this had led to Petunia feeling rather jealous. If she could make Lily feel the same way it would make her day.

'Oh yes, of course!' she said grinning. 'Well, it's brand new, not only for sale but just off the market. Extremely expensive, with fine leather seats and brilliant horse-power. Vernon was amazing to have gotten it, I'm so lucky to have him.' Petunia looked intently on Lily to see what her reaction would be. She just smiled.

'Sounds lovely.' She said quietly, fingering the tablecloth. Petunia frowned, and gestured to Vernon to go on.

'Yes, it was a real steal. Got the money for it from an extremely successful business transaction.' When neither James nor Lily responded he continued. 'So James, what kind of car do you drive?' he asked. What type of car a man drove weighed heavily on his judgement of them.

James looked over at him. 'I don't own a car.' He said. Vernon raised his eyebrows.

'Oh really?' he said. Petunia couldn't believe her luck. Here she was sitting with her successful and rich fiancée and her _perfect_ sister had brought a boy who didn't even own a car! 'Not even a small one? Or even a bike?'

James' eyes lit up. 'No, but my mate Sirius has got one. He's got a wicked bike, and he charmed it so that it could fly. Goes faster than any muggle bike could ever dream to.' He finished grinning.

Vernon was staring at James like he was some kind of maniac. Petunia was trying to keep the smirk off her face. Lily sighed quietly. It wasn't James' fault – he barely ever had contact with muggles. But bringing up flying motorbikes was not something she'd hoped they'd discuss.

'So, you don't own any vehicle at all?' Vernon said dissaprovingly, trying to keep the conversation on terms that he could understand.

James didn't see Lily's warning look. 'Well, I've got a racing broom.' He said defensively, not liking the way Vernon was looking at him.

Petunia coughed. 'A broom?' she said. Broomsticks were always associated with witches and wizards, and she had heard Lily mentioning them once or twice. She didn't think it was anything to brag about though.

James flushed slightly. 'Yeah, a broom. And not your average one either, it's a Nimbus 1500. The finest one on the market.' He said. He was going to continue, but glancing at Lily he saw her pleading look and shut up.

Vernon huffed. 'All these wizards can only afford brooms. They must be living off unemployment benefits.' He muttered to Petunia, but loudly enough so Lily and James could hear them.

Lily scowled. 'For your information it's a very efficient way of travelling.' She said, offended at this obvious jab towards the world she loved so dearly.

James was offended in a different way. '_Unemployment_ benefits?' he said coolly. Even though James was still in school, and shouldn't even be employed, that comment had rubbed him the wrong way. He had come from a family of well respected, wealthy wizards. He didn't like that Vernon seemed to think ill of his family, or their finances.

Lily, thinking along the same lines as him, turned to James. 'James,' she said warningly. He had the tone of voice he so often used to get just before he jinxed someone who was annoying him. He hadn't done this recently, but she hoped he wouldn't choose tonight to change that.

He glanced at her. James didn't plan on jinxing anyone, but he wasn't going to let that comment pass. 'If you think that just because I don't own some _fancy_ car or have some _successful_ job, that means I don't have enough money to support myself then you'd be wrong.'

Petunia continued smirking and Vernon huffed. 'Oh would I?' he said, sure James was bluffing.

'Yeah, you would. See, there's this bank, Gringotts, in the wizard world, where you store your money. And my parents, they were _successful_ too. There's a fortune of gold there, belonging to my family, and one day, just for me. So I won't even need some fancy job to support myself or my family.' James glared at the man. Lily nervously glanced between her boyfriend and future brother in law.

Vernon had no idea how to reply. The boy that sat before him couldn't possibly be telling the truth. Someone like him, own a bunch of gold? No way, and there'd be no wizard bank either. No, he was just trying to intimidate him, or make fun of him. Yes that's the answer. 'Do I look like someone stupid enough to believe that story, boy?' he said angrily.

Lily jumped. She had expected a debate on who was richer, not that reply. She knew James was telling the truth. She turned to him now, pleading with her eyes for him not to continue, but he wasn't looking. 'Do you really want me to answer that?' he replied.

Vernon growled. He did not like being insulted, and he was pretty sure the boy in front of him had done just that. Lily thought desperately for a change of subject. 'So Petunia-' she began, turning to her sister.

But Petunia had other ideas. 'How dare you insult him!' she shrilled. 'Why you're nothing more than a scruffy- freak!' Lily flinched, and Petunia glowered at James.

James, in turn, just raised an eyebrow. If she thought he would be offended by that, she was mistaken. He'd been called much worse names before – a lot of them by the redhead sitting next to him. He turned to Lily now, realising that he had done exactly what she'd hoped he wouldn't do.

Lily was sitting with her shoulders hunched, not looking at anyone. James bit his lip, wishing he hadn't said anything at all. 'Lily?' he asked quietly, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

She brushed his hand away and turned to her sister. 'Don't call him that.' She said, her voice wavering slightly, but defiant. Petunia scowled.

'I told you that school was full of freaks Vernon!' Petunia whispered angrily. 'I'm just sorry I'm related to one of them.'

James' head turned. 'Give it a rest, would you? If there's anyone of the Evan's girls people should be complaining about – it's not Lily.' He said angrily.

Vernon stood up, suddenly. 'That's it! You were right Petunia, come on, let's get out of here!' he huffed and began storming towards the door without a backwards glance. Petunia stood as well.

Lily jumped up. 'No, Tuney wait, please! Let's just try to-' she began but was cut off.

'Don't call me that you freak!' Petunia said, sneering. She stalked away, after her fiancée without another word. Lily burst into tears and sank back into her chair.

James was at a loss for words. 'Lily, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, you warned me an everything and I still- I'm a real git, I'm so sorry.' He said miserably. Lily sniffed and wiped her eyes.

'I just can't seem to ever get along with Petunia these days. I'm worried we might never make up. So much is going on with You-Know-Who these days, I just want to make sure everything between us is okay in case anything ever happens.' She sighed.

James didn't know how to respond for a moment. He put his arm around her. 'Lily Evans, I would die before I ever let V-Voldemort hurt you.' Lily flinched at the name and turned to look at James. His hazel eyes bore no traces of humour, only of the seriousness of this moment. She knew he was telling the truth.

'Thanks, James.' She whispered.

It was James' turn to sigh. 'I'm sorry about tonight.' He said, feeling ashamed. 'But you've got to admit they're not the nicest people to get along with.' Lily laughed at this. 'But I promise I'll try to make up with them as soon as possible, okay?'

Her green eyes looked up at him. 'Okay.' She smiled, and he gave her a quick kiss.


End file.
